BP Articles

BP Chats

with the first month in the books are there any FA veterans you're adding in dynasty? Like a David Peralta if you believe hes back to 2015 form.(Chansen8895 from San Jose, CA)

David Peralta is v. good. Ryan Zimmerman got off to such a hot start that you can't get him now. One guy who has stood out to me is Shin-Soo Choo. His OBP is around .400 right now, hitting for some power. Underrated. (George Bissell)

When does Joey Gallo get called up for good and what do you see his future ceiling as?(Ronnie from Nebraska)

Well as long as Beltre is at 3B it won't be there. His value is so much lower at 1B that they need an OF spot to open up before he is called up for good. Problem is that Nomar Mazara guy is pretty good and has a lockdown on RF. Shin-Soo Choo and Josh Hamilton are making a lot of money, so there isn't an everyday spot for him yet. (Steve Givarz)

Thanks for the chat, Jeff, really enjoy these. What would be a solid comp for Brandon Nimmo? A Shin-Soo Choo type as a leadoff guy with average speed but high on-base, or do you think he can fill out more and be a middle of the order bat eventually? Also, do you think he has present power that he just hasn't learned how to utilize in games yet, or he still needs to put on significant muscle or improve his bat speed.(Ron Mexico from Cedar Rapids)

Nimmo is a great example of why comps can get us in trouble but why they can also be valuable tools. I've seen Nimmo four times this season already and I'm still not sure who he's going to be like. He has some Choo-ish qualities, most notably his plate discipline. The real question for Nimmo is how much power he develops. I don't see him becoming a middle of the order bat, though he's built like a guy who could be one. He has a leadoff man's game, though, and I think that's where he ends up. I don' know if he's Grady Sizemore, or Choo or a slightly slower Jacoby Ellsbury or what. That's why I won't make a comp on him just yet. At this point, pick a left-handed hitting center fielder with plus plate discipline and you've got a shot to be correct. (Jeff Moore)

Sandy Alderson's seat is going to start getting warm this winter. Realistically, what can he do to improve that awful team?(Matt M from Ray Brook, NY)

A lot depends on how much money Alderson is going to be able to spend in the next couple of years. There have been rumors linking the Mets to Shin-Soo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury, but it's hard to say how realistic this is given the Mets money problems. Mets fans and some Mets watchers don't like to hear this, but the Mets are on a five-year plan. An emergence of some of the arms the Mets have in their system would be a big help. Wheeler, Montero, Gee, and Niese isn't a bad rotation. The question is whether or not the team will be able to field a decent enough offense to run with the big boys. My suspicion is that 2015 is the year the Mets will start looking to contend again. (Mike Gianella)

You are now in charge of the Giants, who do you go after this offseason, Cano? Rios? Starting Pitching?(Lou from San Fran)

Cano is going to make just about any team better for at least the next several seasons, but do you want to be the team that is paying him $30+ per season when he's 36 and hitting .270/.310/.370? I guess there are worse fates. I think a guy like Shin-Soo Choo would be a great pick-up for San Francisco. They could put him in left and at the top of the lineup and he'd score a billion runs hitting in front of Posey and, if he gets on a treadmill this off-season, Sandoval. (Matthew Kory)

The Phillies are the 4th largest media market in the USA (A.C. Nielsen). Their projected TV deal is supposed to be at least $5 billion. Are they going to unload for Shin-Soo Choo and Hunter Pence plus a couple of shutdown relievers or continue with this Toothpick bat fraud Ben Revere and that no-talent triple-A bullpen? Is some TV network actually going to pay $5 billion for that? (Free_AEC from South Jersey)

I can't speak for how the Phillies will spend their money, but they should see a lucrative new TV deal which will allow them to try and reload and get competitive. Their player salaries have been very high, and I've wondered how they were able to sustain that through attendance which until this season was off the charts. The new TV deal gets them back in that stage. Now, whether they hang on to veterans that will be deep in the throes of regression is another question. (Maury Brown About Biogenesis and Business)

If Lucroy keeps getting as many borderline calls as he has thus far this season, he might be an actual MVP candidate. He's pretty much lapping the field right now. Of course, we're a ways away from a player getting award consideration because of his framing, so Choo makes a more likely choice. (Ben Lindbergh)

What do you think about the Indians aggressive attitude towards free agency this year, and how good a chance do they have to sign a player like Swisher or Jackson?(Nick from Los Angeles, CA)

I like what the Indians are doing, Nick, in terms of trying to compensate for weaknesses at the top of their pipeline, and getting Trevor Bauer for one year of Shin-Soo Choo was very impressive. As for free agency, I don't think they have a great chance of getting Jackson, who appears to be down to the Cubs and Rangers (with Chicago looking like the strong favorite), and the situation with Swisher really depends on how interested the Rangers are. If he gets more than $60 million over four years, it probably won't be from Cleveland. (Daniel Rathman)

What are the supposed asking prices right now for Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera right now? I hear astronomical. Also, are you a big Run-DMC fan?(Steve G. from Athens, OH)

Run DMC are in the pantheon, man. Up there with Rakim, PE, NWA, etc. The eponymous debut record is what got me into hip-hop in the first place. Gods.

I don't move Cabrera unless I got a MASSIVE return. Up-the-middle starters are worth their weight in gold, almost literally.

I'm a big Choo fan, but maybe if I'm Cleveland I wait til midseason and move him to a contender. Although the OF market is pretty tight right now, maybe you can get a premium for him from someone like PHI? Not sure what I'd need to get in return. But CLE is in a good position because they don't NEED to move him right now. Seller's market. (Ian Miller)

Hey Ben, in my standard 6x6 roto league, I just accepted a trade of Kevin Youkilis and Shin-Soo Choo for Paul Konerko. Is it just me or did I get fantastic value for the rest of Konerko's season, which HAS to be somewhat of a regression.(SnakeDoctor18 from NY)

You gave up Konerko and got both of those guys? Apologies if my next answer is delayed, as I'm starting a slow clap...now. (Ben Lindbergh)

That's a tough call. Choo admitted this weekend that he's been pressing as a way to make up for his DUI arrest. Clearly he's the best player in the deal when he's on, but you have to wonder whether (and when) he'll put the arrest behind him. (Dan Turkenkopf)

Hey Marc, Are you giving Shin-Soo Choo any love in this year's draft?(Swat Slugger from USA)

I don't see why not! He was good for me last year in a mixed league, minus the whole injury thing. He's very useful, as he excels at nothing but does everything very well. Like a better version of Hunter Pence. (Marc Normandin)

Is there a more underrated everyday player out there than Colby Rasmus? I feel embarrassed when I open Cardinals emails saying "Holliday needs your help getting to the ASG," as it should be Rasmus...(Mark from Springfield)

I mean, there may be. Shin-Soo Choo is probably the guy I'd nominate as most underrated, but the trick about this sort of question is that there could be someone who because he's even more underrated than Choo that I'm not even aware of him. I dunno, where I'm at there's plenty of Cards fans (we have their single-A team in town, which encourages it) so I hear plenty about Rasmus. Maybe I'm wrong here. (Colin Wyers)

What do you think of Sin Soo Choo? Can he improve upon last years performance? Is last years performance even sustainable? (SaberTJ from Cleveland, OH)

Shin-Soo Choo is pretty great. I don't think he needs to improve on last year, given he's a legit line drive hitter with some power, on-base skills, great baserunning skills and the ability to play at least average defense. Can you believe that he was acquired for Ben Broussard? (Marc Normandin)

Marc Normandin: Shin-Soo Choo is pretty great. I don't think he needs to improve on last year, given he's a legit line drive hitter with some power, on-base skills, great baserunning skills and the ability to play at least average defense. Can you believe that he was acquired for Ben Broussard?
God Bless Seattle :)(SaberTJ from Cleveland, OH)

It's funny, because he's the kind of player the current Seattle front office would drool over.

I have to wrap things up folks, as I have to finish some baseball-related things I was working on that made me late for the chat in the first place. (Marc Normandin)

Your thoughts on Shin-soo Choo's fine season? He's #2 in vorp for a.l. right fielder's. Is he for real?(big mac from big d)

I know it seems like I can answer questions with questions in chats, but what do you mean by for real? If you're asking if I think Choo is going to continue to be a .300/.400/.550 hitter, probably not. If you're asking if I think he, at 26 years old, is going to continue walking and developing patience, remaining a great hitter for years to come then yep, he is for real. BABIPs in the .370s are unlikely to be sustained year-in year-out but I see no reason why he cannot average a .280/.375/.480 over the next five years. (Eric Seidman)